


New Rules

by alexxxford



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, He's wrong, Light Angst, M/M, Scott meddles, Songfic, Stiles is oblivious, Stiles thinks no one will ever love him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 18:43:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16624388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexxxford/pseuds/alexxxford
Summary: Scott is going to Mexico for a week, leaving Stiles lovesick over Derek. He gives him 3 rules:1) Don't pick up the phone2) Don't let him in (the house)3) Don't be his friendStiles breaks them all.ORA week in the life of Stiles and Derek when Scott goes out of town.ORThe 2 times Stiles broke Scott's rules and the 1 time he 'technically' didn't.





	New Rules

**Author's Note:**

> Quite clearly inspired by New Rules - Dua Lipa. I hope even if you don't like the song you can enjoy this! I just thought it lent itself so well to Sterek..
> 
> (Also I have spent the day writing and posting this so SORRY for errors, I will check it in the next couple of days but if you are reading before this again, SORRY)

Stiles is lying face down on his bed. They’d got in from Sunday afternoon Lacrosse practise 20 minutes ago and he’d been there ever since. He could tell Scott was getting frustrated with his non-committal one word answers but he really just wasn’t that interested in his rambling about all the taco’s he was going to eat in Mexico. At the best of times Scott’s commitment to fried food was difficult for him to stomach, but feeling the way he did today it was positively nauseating.

“Dude, I’m going away for a week, _seven_ days” he stresses.

Stiles grunts. “so you mentioned”

“I can’t leave you like this. I need to know you’re going to be okay”.

Oh, so they had changed topics at last. Stiles rolls lazily onto his back and stares at the ceiling.

“I’ll be fine Scott. I’m fine now and nothings going to change in seven days”. He’s not a werewolf but he can sense his best friend’s unease. “Seriously” he adds.

“Stiles you need to get over him.”

“I know”

“ It’s unhealthy”

_“I know”_

“We need a game plan”

This gets Stiles attention a little. He props himself up onto his elbows and regards his best friend who is pacing his room much the way Stiles does when he’s trying to figure something out. Although for Stiles it’s usually how to stop a coven of witches from adopting Lydia into their coven or how to convince his dad that letting him go on a four night camping trip with a bunch of werewolves to track down another Kanima (they’ve done it before, it will be fine” is a good idea.

Scott’s task is much more difficult.

“There’s no use”

When he’d first met Derek it had been fine. Sure, he was attracted to him, but it was easy, he didn’t actually _like_ him. He thought he was a murderous psycho. He’d been able to convince himself he just found him subjectively attractive. Anyone could see that was true. Besides he’d had Lydia to occupy his mind. But since that didn’t work out; there was no denying that he was into men. If he couldn’t make it work with girl of his dreams, the smartest, most beautiful woman on the planet (arguably), then he was never going to make it work with a woman. So he’d tried dating men. He was gay. That was it, no big deal right? Except he couldn’t go through with it. He’d meet them at the club, they’d get dancing. He could even kiss them. But as soon as it got any further than that he’d freeze. He didn’t want it. He didn’t want anyone except for Derek. _Quel horreur._

“Right, I’m gonna make a list. I’m enforcing some rules” Scott opens the notepad on Stiles desk and finds a parker, ripping the lid off with his teeth. “If you follow these rules, everything will be fine okay. You can get over him”

 

 **1\. Don’t pick up the phone** when he calls

 

He scribbles, reading it out as he does. “This goes for texts too. Derek getting a mobile is a menace, I don’t want him being able to reach you 24/7. In fact, you should block him”

Stiles nods even though he has no intention of doing it. Him and Derek don’t text an awful lot. From time to time Derek will text him to research something for him, a beast, a myth, a town. Other than that there’s the odd message about pack meet ups or warning about things he’s heard on the grapevine. The issue, is the phone calls.

“What if he needs me?” Stiles points out. “I’m not a werewolf but I’m not totally useless”

“Stiles he will turn up here if he needs you. He only calls you when he’s lonely and you know it”

That wasn’t strictly true. He also calls Stiles when he’s drunk. He doesn’t tell Scott this though. His best friend doesn’t know about the new batch of Wolfsbane infused whiskey they’d concocted together. Scott wouldn’t approve but everyone needs to be able to unwind occasionally. Maybe Derek was getting through it a bit fast…

“That brings me to the next point..”

 

 **2\. Don’t let him in** to your house

 

“This is your domain, not his, it already stinks of him. I don’t want him getting too at home”

“But you just said if he needs me-“ Stiles begins but is cut off.

“You’ll only have to kick him out again and I know you can’t bring yourself to do that. If you must meet him do it at a café or a public space”

When had Stiles ever gone to a café? Typically ADHD and caffeine didn’t mix well so.. Scott was right though, Derek did tend to make himself quite at home here to the point Stiles sometimes found him in his room when he got in from school making the most of the cable TV or high-speed Wi-Fi. He kind of liked the fact his room smelt of him though. He wished he could tell.

“And lastly..”

 

**3\. Don’t be his friend**

 

“We work together and fight together out of necessity. There’s no need for us to actually be _friends_ with Derek”

“But Scott, he has no one”

“Well you should have thought of that before you fell for him! He knows you like him, he abuses that. Who knows where you’ll end up if you get too friendly” Scott visibly shivers. “Right, that oughtta do it” he announces, ripping the page out of his pad and handing it to Stiles. “read it, memorise it, obey it. I will be home Monday afternoon but I’m always on the other end of the phone” (Experience told Stiles this wasn’t strictly true but he chooses not to point this out).

“Okay, right, don’t be friends, got it” he nods unenthusiastically shoving the list in his pocket.

“Don’t lose that!”

“I won’t”

“Good luck”

 

…

 

**Monday**

The first day is easy. Derek doesn’t reach out. He gets in from school , does his homework and catches the game with his dad. He cooks pasta for dinner, does some maintenance on his car then gets an early night.

 

**Tuesday**

He nearly breaks the first rule. So nearly. Derek texts him at lunch.

_What do you know about Leanashe?_

He doesn’t reply, worrying his thumbnail. It’s a spirit, usually a beautiful woman who seduces men. Lovers of Leansashe usually live short but wonderful lives. It was said Jimi Hendrix, James Dean, Kurt Cobain had all been alleged to have taken Leanashe lovers. Yoko Ono had supposedly been one. It was an Irish myth. Why was Derek asking? He didn’t suspect he’d met one? He could be in danger! But then Stiles looked at Derek life and thought bitterly no, there was nothing wonderful or inspired about what he had had to go through. Maybe it would be good for Derek if he did meet and fall in love with a Leanashe…

Later that night he calls twice but leaves no voicemail.

_Don’t pick up the phone._

 

**Wednesday**

Another uneventful day. Stiles thinks he sees Derek’s black Camaro when he’s at the gas station after school filling up his jeep. He ducks and watches through the window, his heart thudding. Nothing happens but Stiles dreams of him that night and scrolls through their old messages when he wakes up.

 

**Thursday**

Derek turns up at his door Thursday evening. How does he always seem to know when the Sheriff is working late? Probably a stupid question that he does not want to know the answer to.

“You can’t come in Derek, I’m busy” he calls through the crack in the door. He has the chain across and yes Derek could easily still get in but he hoped and prayed he wouldn’t break dow nhsi front door. _Again_.

“Stiles I haven’t heard from you for nearly a week, is everything okay?”

 _As if you care_ Stiles grumbles to himself. “Yup! Fine!” his voice is a little high and Derek will be able to sense the spike in his heart-rate but he prays the older guy will just ignore this. He hesitates, as if thinking about it, but decides better of it. _He doesn’t care._

“Okay, are you coming to the pack meeting Saturday?”

Stile stares at his shoes. Scott would probably tell him not to go, but he has to act natural right. He couldn’t let him in the house but the others would be there on Saturday. It was a dilemma.

“Er, yeah, Saturday, Sure”

A pause. “Okay then” is all Derek replies, then he’s gone.

Stiles deadbolts the door.

_Don’t let him in._

 

**Friday**

Nothing. Zilch, nil, nada. It’s depressing and Stiles hates it. He feels empty and alone. He’s pining like a puppy. He’s irritable. Is this really better? He’d rather be lead on than this. But he promised Scott. He just has to hold on three more days. He can do this.

 

**Saturday.**

On Saturday he goes to the pack meeting at Lydia’s. He zones out the whole time. He thinks no one notices. At the end help’s Lydia tidy up.

“Is everything okay Stiles?” she asks nonchalantly, heaping pizza trays into the bin. Werewolves can _eat_.

How can he answer? “Yes! Why?” he runs the taps, rinsing glasses and cutlery.

“Oh nothing… you’ve just been.. kind of quiet I guess. You missing Scott?”

“Scott? Oh, yeah, that’s it”

Lydia nods. “Oh. That’s weird because Derek was kind of off too, but I don’t think it’s because he’s missing Scott” she tries to make him laugh but it has the opposite effect. Dread floods to the pit of his stomach. Had Derek been off? He’d been so busy ignoring him he hadn’t noticed? Was he okay? “Well, maybe I’m reading too much into everything” she shrugs, leaving Stiles alone with his thoughts. And the dishes.

A while later the kitchen door opens again and someone enters. He assumes it’s Lydia again until they clear their throat, a distinctly male noise. Far too deep to be Lydia. Who’s he kidding, he knows exactly who it is. He doesn’t look up.

“Nearly done in here” he says to the sink. “You can go”

Derek doesn’t move. Stiles washes faster, putting the lasts few items on the drying rack.

“Right, well I’m off then”

“Did you look at the Leanashe?”

Stiles freezes. Random. He rubs the back of his neck. His heart is racing, he can feel it and he knows Derek must be able to hear it, it’s so embarrassing. How is every atom of his body so acutely aware of Derek? This response is not normal.

“Didn’t need to. Spirits that seduce you. People seduced live short but fantastical lives” he says flatly, avoiding eye contact and trying his best not to open any line of conversation.

Derek nods, leaning casually on the kitchen counter as if the tension in the room wasn’t utterly suffocating. “Of course you already knew” he says, more to himself than to Stiles. “Any thoughts?”

“Why, have you found one?”

Derek nods. “I let her go. Is it really so bad to live a short but sweet life?”

Stiles mulls this over. The way his life was going he’d take 10-20 years of joy and success over another 60 of this monotonous shit show he was currently experiencing. “Well, as long as its someone’s choice, y’know, as long as they know what they are getting themselves into…” he trails off.

Derek is staring at him intently, all his questions seem loaded. “You think being with someone who you know is dangerous might be less painful than being alone and safe?”

Were they still talking about the Leanashe? Stiles couldn’t tell but his throat was closing up and he was sweating. He has to get out of there.

“Well, this has been… informative. I better go, my dad…”

“Is at work” Derek finishes.

“Yup! So I better… go… for…when he gets back” he dashes from the room and straight out to his jeep, not stopping for Lydia, simply calling goodbye over his shoulder.

_Don’t be his friend._

 

**Sunday**

On Sunday, he breaks all three rules and it ends in disaster.

 **Rule 1 -** It starts with a phone call from Derek it 5am. _5am._ Stiles answers without even seeing the name or number.

“What?” he croaks, rubbing his eyes. There’s dull light seeping in through the cracks in his curtain but it’s not really light yet.

“Stiles?” It’s Derek. He sits bolt upright. Shit shit shit.

“Derek!” he panics. “I have to go!”

“Wait!” Stiles clamps a hand over his mouth. Well hell, it was a genuine mistake. Let’s just wrap this up quickly and everything is going to be okay. He can delete the call from his phone log and Scott will never have to know. “Stiles? Are you still there?” Derek doesn’t sound like Derek which is why Stiles finally unclamps him mouth.

“I’m here” he says quietly. He thinks he can hear Derek exhale.

“Okay. Good” “Have you been drinking?” Stiles asks.

“What? No!” Derek sounds a little outraged.

“Then what excuse could you possibly have for calling me at this ungodly hour?”

There’s a pause, a moment of silence, then a rustle. “What time is it?” Yes, he actually asks that. Well, when you don’t go to school or have a nine to five.. no it’s still weird.

“It’s 5am, _on a Sunday”_ Stiles is exasperated, before adding under his breath “Criminal”. Because it is to wake him at this hour. The nightmares have stopped but he’ll never forget them and he’ll never take a good night’s sleep for granted ever again.

“Oh, right. I just wondered if you were free to help me with some research. I just got word from a pack in Nevada-“

“Ask someone else Der, I’m having a break from research”

“…a break?”

“Midterms are coming up and if I’m going to get into good college I really need to stop letting my grade slip” he struggled enough has it is to concentrate and that was before he even knew werewolves existed.

“But… I need your help” Derek sounds absolute bewildered at the idea that Stiles is saying no to him. Maybe Scott was right all along, maybe he was just using him, exploiting his… disposition.

“Not this time, sorry” he hangs up quickly before Derek can say anymore. He was so close to breaking.

Stiles tosses and turns in bed for another two hours but it’s futile, sleep won’t find him, so he4 showered and goes downstairs. He fries bacon and makes scrambled eggs then wastes it because he’s not hungry. His dad is up at 8. He’s working again today. Yup, crime don’t stop on a Sunday.

“You alright kid?” he calls from the kitchen as he puts the leftover bacon in a sandwich and wraps it in foil. _A healthy lunch.._ Stiles doesn’t have the energy to protest.

“Yeah dad good” he lies.

“Just missing Scott?”

God, are they really that co-dependent? No, Stiles just doesn’t have many other people in his life. “mm, something like that”

He switches on the TV and throws himself on the couch ready for a whole day of nothingness. Just what he needs. Scott will be back tomorrow and they can work out the next step together. He’d only broken one rule after all, and that wasn’t too bad. That’s when he hears his dad talking to someone at the front door.

The universe is actually plotting against him.

 **Rule 2 –** “Yeah he’s in there, you gonna keep him company for me? That’s a good boy. Seeya”

_Footsteps._

“Derek!” he jumps off the couch. “W-what are you doing in here?!”

“Your dad let me in”

“No shit. I mean, why are you here?”

Derek has the decency to look a little sheepish. “I know you’re busy I just..” his eyes flick to the TV. Futurama. He’s caught in his lie and there’s nothing he can do. “I just…I really need your help” he pulls out his phone and sits next to Stiles. _Too close._ Stiles looks at the screen.

 **Rule 3-** “Derek, that’s an email from your landlord” Stiles expression is incredulous. Noise complaints late at night, specifically Tuesday the 3rd, a full moon.

“What do I say?”

Stiles drops back into the sofa and covers his face with his hands. “No no no Derek” he whines, shaking his head in despair. “This isn’t fair, you can’t do this to me”

“Do what?”

Stiles actually glares at him. Even he’s starting to feel a little annoyed. He’s using him. “This! You’re taking advantage of my good nature! You’re using me!”

“I don’t know what you mean Stiles” Derek tucks his phone away thank god. He looks a little dejected and a lot confused.

Stile steels himself with a deep breath before beginning again more gently. “Der, you know I would do anything for you, doesn’t mean you should ask”

The older man blinks. “You know I’d never ask you to do anything that puts you in danger?” Stiles is more than a little surprised by his reply and in any other circumstance he might be touched, but now is neither the time or place. He had now officially broken 2 of the 3 rules. He wasn’t about to break the last one, otherwise how could he possibly face Scott tomorrow and how was her every going to get over this?

“That’s not the point Derek”

“Then what is the point?”

Were they really going here? He peaks at Derek through his fingers. He’s looking at him intently. He’s not backing down and he’s not taking a hint. Stiles takes a deep breath. Looks like they are doing this, here and now. Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe he just needs to get this out the way. Maybe he should of done this sooner. He drops his hands to his lap, rubbing clammy palms against the thoughts of his jeans. Derek tracks the movement with hazel green eyes.

“The point is; you know I like you, right?”

Derek nods.

“Like, _like you_ like you”

Derek nods again, confirming Scott’s fears. The wolf knew Stiles liked him and was exploiting it. _Fuck._

“Right, so you’re using me. You know I like you so you keep inviting me round and getting me to do things for you because you know I can’t say no because I’m useless and it’s not fair you’re exploiting me” Stiles doesn’t remember getting up but he’s pacing the living room, gesticulating wildly with his hands as he speaks. “You just can’t do that to people Derek! I know you’re bad a relationships too but it’s not fair I’m literally going crazy here-“

“Stiles! Stiles!” Derek calls a few times but he doesn’t hear over his ranting. He doesn’t hear until Derek gets up, striding over to him and grabbing him by the wrists, forcing him to be still. “Are you done?”

Stiles is panting. He nods solemnly.

“Stiles, I don’t invite you round to _exploit_ you”

“But these things you want me to do, these creatures you have me looking up, they’re not even here! It’s not even important”

Derek at least has the decency to look a little embarrassed. In fact, he’s blushing. _Wait_ , Derek Hale is blushing..! He looks at the floor not at Stiles.

“I invite you round to research stuff with me because I like having you there” he mumbles and Sitles doesn’t think he can have heard that right.

“What? Say that again?”

“I said” he repeats through gritted teeth. “I invite you round to research stuff with me because I like having you there”.

Stiles balks. “I don’t believe you” he whispers. Is he still fucking with him? This is too cruel.

Derek stutters, blinks, drops Stiles hands but takes his shoulders. “Stiles, why do you think you’re the one I call when I drink that shit? I spend a whole day trying to think of an excuse to message you. I turn up at your house at least once a week to keep my scent here, to keep an eye on you”

Stiles heart is hammering in his chest so hard he’s afraid if his heart doesn’t break his sternum will. He can hardly hear himself stammer over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. “B-b-but why?”

“Because I like you too Stiles”

“W-why didn’t you say anything then? I-if you knew I liked you and you liked me back, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Well you were still convinced you were going to find the _woman_ of your dreams up until a few months ago” he says bitterly. It was true, but only because he was trying to not to fall any harder for Derek. “Besides” his voice softens. “I wanted you to have a choice Stiles. I’ve always wanted you to have a choice. I didn’t want you to think.. I’ll always help you, help the pack. Your pulse may quicken around me, but that only means you find me.. _attractive_ ” he says it as if it’s an insult. “It doesn’t mean you… want anything”

It takes Stiles a while to speak. He tries to absorb and process all that he’s just heard but his brain must be miss-firing because he’s pretty sure Derek’s just told him he likes him, and that can’t be true.

“If you wanted me to have a choice.. why didn’t you give me one” Derek is looking at the ground again and Stiles can’t bear it. He touches a stubbly cheek, leaning into Derek’s personal space. He rests his hand flat against the side of his face and waits for eye contact. When he has it, he continues. “I want you, I always have done. It just took me a while to realise it, and a little longer to accept it”

“Really?”

Stiles nods.

“It might not be safe”

Stiles snorts. “My life hasn’t been safe for years Derek. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if it was. I chose this. I chose you” His mind flicks back to what Derek had been saying about Leanashe and maybe the cogs in his brain are working too much…

“I’ll put your life above mine Stiles, I already do” Derek drops his forehead to his before nuzzling him with his nose, inhaling sharply. Breathing. Breathing.

“I’m not asking for that” Stiles reaches up with his other arm and wraps them both around Derek’s neck.

“Too bad” Derek says against his lips, before capturing his mouth in an earth-shattering soul-destroying kiss. Licking into his mouth his hands find Stiles back pockets and he pulls him flush together. Derek is rock solid in his pants, the feel makes Stiles gasp and groan which only serves to make Derek more ferocious in his assault. He couldn’t believe he was having this effect on Derek Hale. In fact, he couldn’t believe he could have this effect on anyone. “Want you. Now” it’s an order. He hoists Stiles up and he wraps his legs around the older mans waist.  
He carries Stiles upstairs and throws him on the bed. He's about to climb on top when his eyes catch something. "What's this?" a sheet of paper had come loose in Stiles pocket when Derek had plunged his hands in there. It now laid on the bed beside him.

 _Shit!_ He makes a grab for it but Werewolf skills..

Derek's scan Scott's list and Stiles want to die.

"Is this about me?" he asks, finally looking up at Stiles. He doesn't look cross though. His eyebrow is quirked in amusement.

"Er.. maybe?"

He crumples it in his hand and throws it over his shoulder. "Remind me to have words with your best friend" is all he says before stretching his Henley over his ridiculously muscled shoulders and climbing on top of Stiles. He begins to kiss him again, languidly, trailing licks and nips up his neck, his ears his collar. Stiles is painfully hard.

"Stop-teasing me" he pants.

"Oh but its so fun" Derek mutters but he does unbuckle Stiles jeans, feeling for him, making sure he's screaming his name before he removes the rest of their clothes and flips hi mover, pressing him into the bed. "I promise to never hurt you" he growls in his ear, flipping the cap on _something._ Stiles gasps and keens at the cold sensation. "Except in bed" he adds with a devilish growl. "You're mine Stilinski" he says as he takes him, claims him as his own. It does hurt but my god it is the best pain Stiles has ever felt, and okay, maybe he's always kind of liked the pain.

 

The next afternoon Scott is home, he comes straight to Stiles.

"So how did it go?" he tanned and glowing and has bought Stiles back a sombrero.

Stiles twiddles his thumbs. "Well... I only broke two of them..."

"You broke two of them?" Scott is incredulous. As if he's surprised.

"Well yeah, he called me, and he came here... but I'm not his friend. I'm his boyfriend"

**Author's Note:**

> I can't write smut, I'm sorry, it scares me.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!!


End file.
